Often we hear “This is a good song, I don’t listen to the words!” or “What I wear doesn’t change how I act! I should be able to wear whatever I want!” or “I can do whatever I want all week and still go to church, no one will be able to tell.”
One of Satan’s very favorite lies to whisper into our ears is “what you do your body won’t affect your spirit.” I testify to you that this is not true! Our mortal bodies and our eternal spirits are bound together. What we do to one, affects the other, but we yield the most power, we have the most growth, and we feel the spirit the strongest when we participate in activities that use both our bodies and our spirits to achieve a goal.
Elaine Dalton – A return to virtue p. 125: As a part of that plan, you were given a body. It is a precious gift whereby you can exercise your agency and put your faith and obedience into action. Your body houses your eternal spirit. Have you ever noticed that nearly all of Satan’s attacks are directed at your body? Pornography, immodesty, tattoos, immorality, drug abuse and addiction are all efforts to take possession of this precious gift. This was a gift he was denied. Care for yourself; be modest and be clean. Do everything you can to be free from anything that would harm your body. Be strictly obedient to the standards in For the Strength of Youth. Virtue yields strength, and the blessings of being virtuous are freedom and happiness.”
As Sister Dalton points out, Satan often attacks our bodies, but to overcome these attacks it requires that we use both our mortal bodies and our eternal spirits to combat the temptations and lies and when we use this recipe to overcome our trials Satan has no power over us.
Virtue is a value that requires both physical and spiritual purity to achieve. And this is why we run for virtue. We want to teach our bodies and our minds to be engaged at the same time, fighting for the same cause. You may have heard that running requires both physical and mental strength, but I would amend that to say that it requires strength from both our mortal bodies and eternal spirits.
Just as achieving virtue requires both our body and spirit, the blessings that come from living a virtuous life come to both our bodies and our spirits:
Doctrine and Covenants 25:2 …If thou art faithful and walk in the paths of virtue before me, I will I will preserve thy life (physical), and thou shalt receive an inheritance in Zion. (Spiritual)
When we participate in a Virtue Run, we have companions on both sides of the veil. When we are virtuous and pure in both body and spirit we are worthy to Walk with God!
Revelation 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis (or your city!) which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment